• Tope Emmanuel Adeyemi, Monica Ndudi Adekoya, and Elfleda Angelina Aikins.
• Department of Child Dental Health, Faculty of Dentistry, Bayero University, Kano/ Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.
• Afr Health Sci. 2023 Mar 1; 23 (1): 515851-58.

IntroductionEfforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease led to suspension of many services which caused orthodontists to resort to providing only emergency services. The aims of this study were to assess the willingness of Nigerian Orthodontists and Orthodontic resident doctors to treat patients infected with Covid-19 as well as to ascertain advice given regarding traumatic arch wires and aligners during the pandemic.Participants And Study DesignThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study. We included dentists who were Orthodontists and orthodontic resident doctors practicing in Nigeria. Data was collected via an online questionnaire (Google form) which was sent three times weekly throughout May/June, 2020 and analysed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.ResultsForty-eight out of the 90 members of the WhatsApp group responded within the allotted time, giving a response rate of 53.3%. Out of a total of 48 respondents, 39 (81.3%) were unwilling to treat patients infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic. The major reason was fear of infection with the virus (12, 25.0%). Most of the respondents (41, 55.4%) suggested the use of wax for relief of trauma from arch wires.ConclusionMajority of Orthodontists and orthodontic residents practicing in Nigeria expressed unwillingness to treat patients infected with COVID-19. Aligner therapy was proffered as an alternative to bracket therapy.© 2023 Adeyemi TE et al.

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